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dynamic dns

See Dynamic DNS Services for examples of writing y our own update scripts.

From: tony@aplawrence.com
Subject: Re: IP Address locator?
Date: Sun, 1 Jun 2003 09:51:39 +0000 (UTC)
References: <3ED82394.6080009@nospam.com>
<300520032306004588%jerrykindall@nospam.invalid>
<3ED8ED7B.4010509@nospam.com>
<310520032030359159%jerrykindall@nospam.invalid> 

Jerry Kindall <jerrykindall@nospam.invalid> wrote:
: In article <3ED8ED7B.4010509@nospam.com>, Timothy Miller
: <noname@nospam.com> wrote:

:> I appreciate that, Jerry and Lourens. I'll investigate further. My first 
:> impression is that these are complex solutions to a simple problem.

: Really?  Kludging up something that _emails_ someone when your IP
: address changes is simpler?

No, probably not simpler, but it really isn't all that difficult either.

: I mean, avoiding having to remember IP addresses is what DNS is _for._ 
: That's why it exists.  Why not use it to solve the problem it was
: intended to solve?

While agreeing with you in principle, the op apparently only wants
to notify one person.  That being the case, there's only a couple 
of ways to do it: email or other messaging as suggested, or both 
people using an intermediary that does have a constant address or is 
listed in DNS.  For example, if he had a web site, he could update
(programatically) a page there that his buddy could access, or 
similar schemes.  I guess there are still free web sites about, so
that solution could avoid cost.

If the person to be allowed access has a fixed address or can be found 
through DNS, and is running a decent OS, then you could run a little
simple server app there that the changing machine could contact.  Such 
a server isn't at all difficult.

If the idea here is dhcp  on both sides, then an intermediary is
the only way I can think of: a servet app there accepts connections
and either stores or gives out the ip.  I'm not sure that free web 
sites let you run programs like that.  You could also do it through 
a file sharing service:  he stores an encrypted file that his buddy
can pick up and decrypt.  Are there free file sharing services?

Technically theres nothing mind boggling about any of these schemes.

But I do agree that they are more complicated than simply signing up
for a dynamic dns service.

-- 
tony@aplawrence.com Unix/Linux resources: http://aplawrence.com
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